FSU players still haunted by memories of last year's loss to NC State

Wolfpack derailed FSU's title hopes

TALLAHASSEE – Florida State linebacker Christian Jones looks down at the black-and-white picture.

The haunting illustration serves as a not-so-subtle reminder of an opportunity squandered, a season derailed.

On Jones' NC State game-installation pamphlet is an image of a play he would like to forget. It is a still of the Wolfpack's game-winning play against FSU from last year. Mike Glennon threw a 2-yard touchdown pass on 4th-and-goal with 16 seconds remaining in the contest, giving NC State a stunning 17-16 victory against No. 3 FSU.

"We knew how we felt after the game," Jones said. "We don't want that same feeling. That game right there, it could have changed our season from last year.

"Seeing it on the page right now, I'm like 'Dang, one play away.'"

No. 2 FSU (6-0, 4-0 ACC) will be looking to avoid another debacle when it hosts NC State (3-3, 0-3) Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The game will air on ABC.

Sandwiched between last weekend's game against Clemson and next week's game versus No. 7 Miami, it has all the makings of a trap game.

The Seminoles are still riding high off of the 51-14 shellacking against Clemson, which was ranked No. 3 at the time. But all the goodwill created in the win would come undone if the Seminoles are again upset by an NC State squad that has dropped three of its past four games.

FSU coach Jimbo Fisher hopes that the stench of last year's debacle will permeate, having a direct impact on this season's matchup. Although not one for dwelling on the past, Fisher is a strong believer in referencing and learning from history.

"Feel that pain," Fisher said. "You want that pain again? Don't prepare. You want to eliminate that pain? Prepare and take care of business.

"I don't think any of those things hurt [focusing on the game], I really don't."

Safety Terrence Brooks was yards away from NC State receiver Bryan Underwood when he hauled in the game-winning reception from Glennon last year. The experience has stuck with Brooks, who immediately thought back to the game when FSU went down 17-3 to Boston College earlier this season.

"Just looking at the scoreboard and seeing what the situation could be, it definitely shook me up a little bit," Brooks said.

The last four times FSU has been ranked in the AP top 25 poll and played against an un-ranked NC State squad, the Seminoles have lost. Last year, FSU held a 16-0 lead at halftime.

The meltdown in October ended any hopes FSU had of playing for a national title.

"Just like in life, there's always that one girl that got away, there's always that one play that got away," FSU center Bryan Stork said. "It got away from us."

Linebacker Telvin Smith was responsible for guarding Underwood. Because of that, he refuses to re-watch the play that is plastered across the team's game-prep sheets.

"I felt like I let the team down when I didn't make that play," Smith said. "It's just like yesterday that it happened, I don't feel like I have to watch it at all. I know what it felt like. I was on the field. I saw Terrence try to hit him and knock it out, and come up yelling. It's not something I have to watch, I remember it vividly.